Congratulations to Northern Vance alumnus Jason Brown for being a fourth-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
We were surprised Brown wasn’t picked in the first three rounds on Day 1, particularly after another center went in the first round. We understand the Tar Heel star’s disappointment.
But Brown, a three-year starter for the University of North Carolina (and the son of Vance County Commissioner Deborah Brown), wound up in a good place as the 124th pick overall.
First, the geography is nice. Baltimore is about a five-hour drive from Henderson. The only closer teams are the Panthers and Redskins.
Second, the Baltimore Sun reports that he’s one of five Ravens draft picks who could be rookie starters for a playoff-caliber team that entered the draft with the offensive line as a high priority.
Brown figures to enter training camp in July as the backup to Mike Flynn. That will put Brown one injury from a starting spot, and Flynn missed half of the 2004 season with a broken collarbone.
“Jason Brown is a very solid guy, a good player who can run block and pass block,” said Eric DeCosta, the Ravens’ director of college scouting.
The Ravens also are getting a smart, high-character guy. In an interview last week on Raleigh radio station WRBZ-AM (850), Brown reported that his score on the Wonderlic personality test that NFL teams give prospective draftees was a 32. By comparison, N.C. State quarterback Philip Rivers scored only a 30 last year.